"Good stories often introduce the marvelous or supernatural, and nothing about Story has been so often misunderstood as this." - C.S. Lewis

Friday, March 30, 2012

Why I Support the Human Wave (SABR Matt)

First...a little fun, on the request of fans of the movement who think we need a battle cry or anthem that proclaims the virtues of uplifting, fair-minded, honest story telling, and seeks to rekindle the hope and wonder of exploration and discovery that once made science fiction so appealing. As I am told I have some skill with song parody (I deploy this semi-regularly over at RightFans Politalk under the heading of "Politically Incorrect Lyrics"), I thought I would steal the heartfelt optimism and striving of "Wide Open Spaces" (by the Dixie Chicks) as one option for an anthem.

With the caveat that I do not own the music and that I am making use of it that is protected under "fair use" by the US Supreme Court for parody.

Wide Open Space

Who doesn't know what I'm talking about?
Who's never gotten lost, who's never struck out...
To touch the stars in the sky with their minds?
Their hearts in the clouds, the light of hope in their eyes!

Many precede and many will follow.
A young child's dreams no longer hollow.
It takes the shape of a place in heaven's arms.
A story told with compassion, filled with charms.

We need...
Wide open spaces!
Trust your readers for God's sake!
We need...
New faces!
Our genre is at stake.

What life did you want as a child?
We are the future, our stories wild.
If we remember why we loved those classic tales...
Then there's no reason why we can't prevail.

We need...
Wide open spaces!
Make a place for love and faith.
We need...
New faces!
Our genre is at stake.
Our genre is at stake.

Remember adventure, remember achievement?
Hold on to the things that you believe in!
Don't let 'em tell you there's no room for the best.
If sales depend on joy, we'll pass this test.

We need...
Wide open spaces!
Trust your readers for God's sake!
We need...
New faces!
Our genre is at stake.
Our genre is at stake.

Now a little anecdote. I recently was considering attending a local science fiction convention - some may have heard of it. ICON is a yearly event in Stony Brook and this year, some of their top guests were highly attractive to me as a fan. Nana Visitor, for example, was on their A-list. Apart from the fact that the convention now costs $50 even for students, I might still have attended anyway if the schedule wasn't COMPLETELY dominated by anime and manga with very adult themes and a strong focus, bizarrely, on Furry fetishism and something called "the most dangerous anime", which is also potentially disturbing based on the descriptions of panels under that list.

Geekdom used to be about socially awkward, well-intended people with imagination and great storytelling at the core of their desires. It is now completely overrun by socially awkward depressed people beaten down by a normative expectation that other people around them are evil and selfish, and thus an unnecessary focus on worldly pleasures and...um...sexual exploration, if you can call it that. Everyone likes something unusual about sex that likes sex at all, but is this really what sci fi and fantasy is for us now? Furry fetishism, S&M manga and gaming as a substitute for real social interaction? I think the human wave is a response to a cultural movement away from high expectations. We shouldn't settle for stories that paint us as uncomplicated evil creatures barely different than chimps. Even if we really were like that...we should expect MORE...we should STRIVE for more! And our stories should reflect that. I don't think we're savage sex-crazed beasts all in it for numero uno...I've known too many good people to fall into that way of thinking. But by their own logic, they should be making a place for a higher goal that we should be striving to achieve. How can we achieve something greater if all we have to look up to are a bunch of assholes?

Bottom line...stories should be fun...not brutal self-indulgent muck-raking. Give me something fun to read and I'll read it, and have your fun by expressing a desire for a better life and showing that there is reason to believe such a life is possible. That's all I ask. So...I will be watching human wave discussions going forward...and looking for stories that interest me to throw some money at. :)